The "Good Oak"
This year, the Wisconsin Idea Seminar set out from Madison early on an overcast spring day. As the bus rolled down Park Street and up to the square for a circle around the state Capitol building, father-and-son lecturers David and Bill Cronon (David is a dean and professor emeritus of history, while Bill holds joint appointments in history, geography and environmental studies) discussed the history of government and higher education in Wisconsin, as well as the urban landscapes of Madison.
As the tour moved west and north of the capital city, Bill Cronon covered the natural and geological history of the state, including the influence of water—both flowing and frozen—on the modern landscape. He highlighted the vulnerability of Wisconsin's scenic rural landscapes that are prized both for agriculture and for housing development, which he called "rooms with a view."
The Aldo Leopold Shack, a re-built chicken coop along the Wisconsin River where the Leopold family stayed during weekend retreats. Photo: courtesy The Aldo Leopold FoundationWhen the group arrived at the Aldo Leopold Shack in the Baraboo Hills, Cronon notes that the site's namesake shaped both land conservation and environmental politics in the United States. Leopold, whom many consider the first professor of wildlife ecology in the world, turned a washed-out farm into an experiment in ecological restoration, according to Cronon.
"He brought an ecological eye to all of his endeavors," says Cronon of Leopold, who came to Madison in 1924 with the U.S. Forest Service and later accepted a position at the university. "He read the forest from an historical standpoint."
Leopold's writings are still widely read, including a volume that is now considered the first textbook in the field of wildlife management, and the famous essay collection A Sand County Almanac. Visitors to the shack can even visit the site of the massive oak Leopold recounts sawing down in his narrative "Good Oak". The UW-Madison holds some of Leopold's original manuscripts in its collection at Steenbock Library.
The family makes the farm
The afternoon found the group at the Selz-Pralle dairy farm in Humbird, after introductory remarks during the drive by Ted Halbach, a senior outreach dairy specialist with the UW-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
At the farm, Scott Pralle and Pam Selz-Pralle displayed their free-stall barns and modern milking parlor, and gave tour participants—some of who had never been on a farm before—insight into the challenges, struggles and joys of being a Wisconsin dairy farmer. As a spring rainstorm moved across the rolling green fields, they discussed all aspects of their operation, including nutrient management plans, animal health, farm profitability and personnel issues.
"You do what you love," says Pam, who majored in dairy science at UW-Madison and returned to her family's farm after a nine-to-five career. "We take care of our cows, and we take care of our soil—and we take care of our families. Farms cannot operate without families; we are only successful because of our families."
Pam notes that although the average herd size of Wisconsin dairy farms may seem to grow larger each year, farms also support more households as farm families hire extra workers.
"Ten households live off of our farm," she explains. "And as we grow bigger and acquire more land, we aren't forcing anyone out of farming. Economics do that—we are our neighbor's retirement plan."
The first day of the tour finished with dinner remarks by State Representative Martin Schneider from the 72nd district, who reminded UW faculty and staff of their influence in the lives of students. "Don't forget that a student in your class today may be on the Board of Regents tomorrow!"
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